


Learning Curve

by WonderBoy



Series: Tumblr Prompts [3]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Accidental Baby Acquisition, Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Future, Drabble, Established Relationship, Family Feels, Fluff, Future Fic, Gen, M/M, Prompt Fic, Tumblr Prompt, very light angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-31
Updated: 2017-10-31
Packaged: 2019-01-27 12:27:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12581900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WonderBoy/pseuds/WonderBoy
Summary: Lance considered himself well equipped to deal with the unexpected. Still, he’s not sure he ever could have been prepared for the day his husband brought back a child from a construction mission.





	Learning Curve

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr Prompt/Request: Keith and Lance find a baby that the Galra abandoned and become the gay dads everyone wants
> 
> This didn’t quite go where I expected but I hope you enjoy and God bless this more normal request, I enjoyed writing this even if I didn’t know where I was going with it.

Years in space, as a Voltron paladin as well as an explorer and peacemaker, left Lance well equipped to deal with the unexpected. At least, he certainly thought so. If he could roll with the punches at seventeen well enough to figure out how to fly a giant alien ship, and fight against an empire that had been terrorizing the universe for the last ten thousand years, he could only get better, surely. Still, he’s not sure he ever could have been prepared for the day his husband brought back a child from a construction mission.

Keith and Hunk, and a crew of a few dozen of their allies, had been gone for nearly a month helping far-reaching planets re-build and get up-to-date on what had been going on since the end of the war. Often, those kinds of missions ended with them returning with news of another planet in desperate need of help someone needed to rush off to, usually immediately. Occasionally, especially if Shiro, Allura, or Lance went on the missions, they returned with aliens in need of healing or relocating, who stayed as guests of the palace while Team Voltron did what they could to accommodate them.

Keith had never returned with extra passengers. And he had _definitely_ never returned with _young_ passengers before.

“You’re going to scare her if you just keep staring at her like that.” Keith said.

Wide, yellow eyes stared up at Lance, unblinking as he stared back. Lance didn’t have much experience with Galra who weren’t from the Blade of Marmora, even after the war he tended to avoid them. He certainly had no experience with Galra children. If he had to guess however, the girl was young. Perhaps even still a toddler-if the Galra had a toddler-equivalent. Her skin was a paler purple than Keith’s when he takes on a more-Galra appearance, but the hair around her pointed ears fell in dark, soft waves around her face. It looked a little like Keith’s own bedhead.

“She’s staring at me, too.” Lance defended, finally glancing up towards his husband.

Keith looked back, unamused. “She’s a child, you are not.”

Lance shot him a cheeky grin. “So, you admit it.”

“You’re still childish. Just not an actual child.”

The girl looked between the two men, as if not sure where to focus. Lance wasn’t sure if she could understand them. Keith’s old red jacket was draped around her small shoulders. She was drowning in the faded fabric, wearing it more as a blanket than anything. It was unfairly adorable, especially when she leant back and settled against Keith’s chest. Keith’s free hand rose to run over her head, brushing hair from her face. Her eyes flutter shut and she swayed uncertainly in his arms. Lance wasn’t sure what had happened before they returned to the castle, but it was obvious she was growing tired. They should find a place for her to sleep until they can procure a more reasonably sized bed. He wondered if Allura would even have anything like that. For the most part, Keith’s expression stayed the same, but Lance could see a soft affection in his eyes as he watched the drowsy girl. Not a look many people had earned from him. And not one earned easily.

“She likes you.” Lance observed. His mind was still reeling from the introduction of this small child, but that much, at least, was obvious. “And you like her. How much time did you spend together down there?”

Keith rolled his eyes, but a soft flush to his cheeks gave him away. “You sound jealous of a child.”

“Maybe I am. Maybe I wanted to be the only one you cuddled for a few more years.” Lance wasn’t serious, but he crossed his arms and pouted anyways.

Keith was half-way through a comeback before he fully registered Lance’s words. “…A few more years?”

Lance shrugged, before he looked pointedly at the girl. “You never thought about starting a family?”

Keith’s expression morphed into something both surprised and…frustrated. He grit his teeth, forcing himself to stay calm as the child slept in his arms. Lance wanted to reach out, to offer some kind of comfort, but he knew whatever this was about, Keith needed to work through it himself first.

“I don’t…It’s been so long since…” Keith growled in frustration, only calming when the girl began to fuss.

Silently, Lance offered to hold her. Keith hesitated, as if he didn’t wanted to give her up. Coming back to himself, he awkwardly maneuvered her into Lance’s arms. The girl fussed at being moved, squirming in Lance’s arms as he tried to situate her into a comfortable hold. Lance and Keith both froze when her big eyes blinked open to stare at Lance from her new position. She looked slowly between the two men and for a moment, Lance was sure she was going to cry. But after a moment, she settled against Lance with a quiet huff. Lance pressed his mouth into a tight line to stop himself from smiling too wildly at her quiet acceptance. He and Keith were having a serious conversation, he needed to focus. Even if his arms were now full of a soft, warm bundle, swaddled in Keith’s jacket.

Keith’s expression was hard as he stared at Lance gently rocking her. “A family? With me?” He finally asked, his voice quiet despite the frustrated temper roughening it.

Before Lance could answer, Keith began to pace across their bedroom.

“What kind of family could we really have? We live on a spaceship most of the year, we go on missions across galaxies, and I…” Keith trailed off, throwing his arms wide as if Lance should be able to fill in the blanks.

“Well I never said it’d be easy. But do you really plan to live like this…forever?”

When Keith didn’t have a response, Lance pushed on. “And even if we did, what would be so wrong with that? Any kids we had could see the _universe_ without ever actually leaving their house. And they would never be alone. Shiro, Hunk, Allura, Pidge, Coran…Matt, everyone would be there like the crazy aunts and uncles no one _ever_ asks for.” Lance looked down at the little girl in his arms. “Why did you bring her back with you?”

Keith rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “She didn’t have anyone down there. And even though she was so well behaved and sweet, no one wanted her.” _Like no one wanted me._

“So, you bonded with her and brought her back to the castle but you were just going to give her away to the next orphanage or Galra-friendly planet we found?”

“No!” Keith groaned. “I don’t know.”

Lance reached for him with his free hand. After a moment’s hesitation, Keith took it, letting Lance draw him close. Lance wrapped his arm around Keith’s waist, while Keith’s own arm draped loosely around his back. Wary of the sleeping child between them, Keith nuzzled closer, resting his cheek against Lance’s own.

“I don’t know anything about being a…parent.” Keith whispered. Lance smiled, turning to press a soft kiss to his cheek.

“She’ll teach you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Come yell at me, request new things, or just stalk the progress of other fics on tumblr @ thathopelessromantic.tumblr.com


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